Uncharacteristically deciding to work hard, I pressed the interbell at Kacchan's house dressed for exercise.
"Kacchan, let's hang—I mean, let's train!"
When I called out like that, Mitsuki-san opened the door as usual.
"Morning, Souko-chan! You're early today! What's this, a date?"
"No, no. The Sports Festival's coming up, so I need to move my body! I thought I'd have Kacchan keep me company."
"Oh, that's too bad. Katsuki! Cancel what you were busily preparing and keep Souko-chan company!"
"Shut up, you old hag!"
Whoa.
Kacchan's got an energetic voice this early in the morning.
While I was impressed by his energy, Mitsuki-san smiled and said "Wait just a bit, okay?" before going back inside.
Since I don't know how long "a bit" is, I decided to wait while listening to music on the expensive earphones I'd prepared that won't fall off during exercise. The sound quality is, you know, different. Totally. Yeah, probably. These were expensive.
After a short while, the door I was leaning against opened and Kacchan's dad appeared. I took out my earphones, of course. I'm a good girl.
"Good morning, Souko-chan."
"Good morning! Is today your day off, Kacchan's dad?"
"Haha, that's right. I haven't been able to take proper days off lately, but I finally got things sorted at work."
Kacchan's dad is busy with this and that.
When he's around, he's around, but when he's not, he's really not.
Even though I've been coming to Kacchan's house recently, I haven't seen his face at all.
"Are you going out with Katsuki today? Well, when he goes mountain climbing, he usually goes alone, so this is unusual..."
"Mountain climbing? Kacchan was planning to go mountain climbing today?"
"Ah, you didn't know? I see."
Kacchan is an active guy who says things like "mountain climbing" when asked about his hobbies. I'd heard that he occasionally went mountain climbing after learning about it during a school event in middle school, but this was my first time encountering it.
"He hasn't gone recently, so it's been quite a while, and on top of that, when I heard Souko-chan came over, I thought that's what it was..."
"What it was?"
"No, just talking to myself. Oh, that's right—if Katsuki says no, would you like to go out with me and Mitsuki? I was thinking of going for a drive."
"Ooh, that would be—ah, but I really need to exercise..."
"I see, that's too bad. I was thinking of going to a buffet for lunch... I thought it would be nice if you could come."
"A buffet!"
What a wonderful event!
This, this—wouldn't it actually be rude not to go?
Honestly, I can move my body after school anyway, and I'm already doing that, and just because I spend one day off doing it doesn't mean I'll see results...
"Well, you see, Mitsuki found a shop she'd like. A place with all-you-can-eat famous brand cakes... Oh, and of course the other food is quality too—oh, I shouldn't have said tempting things like that. Sorry."
"No, no. Oh, but if Kacchan says no, I'll go!"
"Really? That's great. Mitsuki will be happy too."
While thinking about what to eat at the buffet, scowling Kacchan appeared from behind his dad. Somehow, I felt the buffet drifting away.
"Old man! What the hell are you doing?! Get back inside!"
"Oh, scary, scary. Hm? Are you not stopping the mountain climbing?"
"Why the hell should I stop for this stupid girl?! If she wants to come along, she can just come along!"
"You're going together? But Souko-chan doesn't have mountain climbing gear."
I'm going mountain climbing?
I don't want to. What a pain.
Also, I want buffet.
"Shut up! Mountain climbing has routes! I just gotta pick one where the idiot won't die!"
"Ah, I see. Like hiking. But even though it's spring, mountains are cold, right? With Souko-chan's outfit, walking in the mountains..."
"If she's going, she just needs to throw on a jacket and it's fine! She'll complain about her feet hurting anyway and we'll end up taking the ropeway back! Here!"
A jacket was slapped into my face.
Ow. What are you doing, you jerk?
When I picked up what was thrown at me, it was a pretty fluffy nice one. I think it's for mountain climbing but... What's this? I want it. I want something like this to wear when going out in winter.
I wonder if he'd give it to me if I asked. He won't.
In the end, I went mountain climbing with Kacchan after promising to go to the buffet with Mitsuki-san and Kacchan's dad next time.
I was planning to exercise anyway, so mountain climbing or whatever is fine, but Souko-chan is surprised by the sudden change of course—Wait, no, I'm going, right? I am going though? Yeah.
The mountain Kacchan was trying to climb was about thirty minutes away by train transfers. It's apparently a mountain for beginner to intermediate climbers, the mountain trail isn't that steep, and apparently it's a kind mountain where you can take the ropeway back. According to the trail bulletin board.
After about three hours of climbing while drinking sports drinks I bought on the way and taking breaks, I finally saw the summit—while stretching with a sense of accomplishment, I saw the ropeway station. I felt indescribable emotions while watching tourists streaming down from the ropeway.
Really, what is this feeling... Bittersweet?
"Kacchan, the ropeway."
"Huh? What, you wanna go back already?"
"No, I just think it's bittersweet."
"...That's how it is."
I see, that's how it is.
After that, since there was a restaurant at the observatory and it was close to noon, we decided to eat.
On Kacchan's treat, of course.
"...It's delicious, but bittersweet."
"Then don't eat it, idiot."
"No, I'm gonna eat it though."
Eating at a restaurant with a nice view made me doubt whether I really came here to mountain climb. I thought it was for exercise, but what is this?
I'm spending more time relaxing than moving.
This is different from the mountain climbing I imagined.
I thought mountain climbing would be more like stabbing pickaxes into sheer cliffs, setting up ropes, and climbing by relying on outcroppings that only a finger could catch onto. I thought there'd be deathmatches with bears along the way, or wild boars attacking that we'd fight off and eat.
What is this?
"What's with you? If you got complaints, spit 'em out."
Maybe because we're outside, Kacchan isn't yelling.
He's cursing, but that doesn't feel right either.
It's throwing me off.
Hmm, what is it?
"It's not really a complaint..."
"Huh?"
"It just doesn't feel like mountain climbing."
"What?"
What is this?
Hmm, how to express it properly... Oh.
"That's it, Kacchan! This is a date! A mountain climbing date! Mountain climbing should be more harsh—"
"Cough!"
"Kacchan?!"
Kacchan choked painfully, like something went down the wrong pipe. He looks like he's dying. He was choking so painfully that I got genuinely worried.
Are you okay?!
When I shook him to check if he was okay, he yelled "Stop it!" Oh, now that's the Kacchan I know! Come on, let's go more like a lit firecracker! Yeah!
"Damn it! W-who would go on a date with you?! Don't get the wrong idea!"
"I'm not though... Well, whatever. But isn't it good? Now you know you can use this when you go on a date with someone."
"Whaaat?!"
I don't think such a person will appear for Kacchan though.
How peculiar would they have to be, right?
He's always yelling, exploding, with no mood or anything like that. Who would go out with him? If such a person exists, I want them to tell me.
"If I get someone like that too, I'll have them bring me here. The night view would probably be pretty at night."
"Tch! Don't dream, idiot! Who would go out with a stupid girl like you who's only got looks?! If someone like that existed, I'd question their sanity!"
"Well said, explosion boy. I'll take that fight."
After that, we had a fistfight in a nearby clearing until sunset. It was a fight without Quirks, but I barely won. Honestly, since I thought I might lose, the afterglow of victory was incredible.
After buying souvenirs and taking the last ropeway back, I ended up seeing the night view after all.
It's unfortunate that it's with Kacchan, but I'll let it slide this time. Because I won. If I'd lost, I wouldn't be thinking this way. If I'd lost.
"Hey Kacchan, hey Kacchan."
"What?!"
Maybe because there were no other passengers, Kacchan yelled in his usual way. Since I'm used to it and this makes me feel more at ease, I won't complain about it.
"I can't see from over there, so come over here? Please?"
"...Tch."
I grabbed the head of Kacchan, who was being cheeky and ignoring me, and forcibly made him sit in the seat next to me.
"There, look?"
"Shut up! There, I looked! Let go!"
"You're not looking, right? Come on now."
"Agh?!"
I forcibly set Kacchan's face toward the window as he turned away, and turned my face that way too. Hmm, beautiful things are beautiful no matter who you see them with.
"Hey Kacchan, hey Kacchan."
"...What?"
"If Kacchan doesn't have a girlfriend, and I don't have a boyfriend, and we're both free again—"
"—Let's come again, okay?"
"...If I'm in the mood."
"Yeah."
I don't remember how I got home after that.
I remember dozing off on the ropeway, but nothing after that.
I heard from Mom that Kacchan carried me on his back... I'm impressed he carried me that whole distance.
I'll praise him next time I see him.
***
10 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
https://patreon.com/Well_being